Foote Says Lions Have Offered Him A Contract
Posted by Mike Florio on May 5, 2009, 9:21 p.m.

Former Steelers linebacker Larry Foote reportedly was due to visit the Lions on Wednesday.

In Michigan, it’s apparently Wednesday.

According to the Associated Press, Foote says that he met with “everybody” at the team’s facility on Tuesday. Foote also claims that the Lions offered him a contract, and that agent Ken Kremer is working on completing a deal.

Foote, who has said he wants to play for the Lions, also says that the Chiefs, Cardinals, and Colts have expressed interest in signing him.

In our view, Foote’s affinity for the franchise that went 0-16 in 2008 offers genuine encouragement for a struggling organization. And it’s the kind of thing that could help to turn things around in Detroit.

King_Chief_Fan

05-05-2009, 08:04 PM

how many LB's are needed? I don't think he is an upgrade over what the Chiefs have today.

Direckshun

05-05-2009, 08:04 PM

Yeah I'd say he's a Lion.

Would love to have him, though.

The Bad Guy

05-05-2009, 08:12 PM

I'd like to have him too, but I have no idea where he would play.

It all doesn't matter though. He was basically getting fitted for his Lions jersey while he was a Steeler.

bdeg

05-05-2009, 08:16 PM

I'd like to have him too, but I have no idea where he would play.

It all doesn't matter though. He was basically getting fitted for his Lions jersey while he was a Steeler.

ILB next to Thomas. DJ could come inside on 3rd down for Thomas and play outside sometimes

TRR

05-05-2009, 08:40 PM

It seems that Foote is wanting to play somewhere close to home...and Detroit would fit that bill. He would be nice to have as both Vrabel and Thomas are 1-2 year fixes at best, and Foote is only 28 years old. Looking to the future, Foote could give us several good years.

To add to it...who knows if Tamba Hali can make the transition to OLB, and if Demorrio Williams can finally blossom.

chiefs1111

05-05-2009, 08:50 PM

Foote, Lions Work Out A One-Year Deal
Posted by Mike Florio on May 5, 2009, 10:47 p.m.

It’s a done deal.

Larry Foote is going home.

And he’ll be playing linebacker for the Detroit Lions.

The Associated Press reports that Foote and the Lions agreed to terms on a one-year deal.

“I’m excited because it’s a fresh start for me,” Foote told the AP. “It’s a one-year deal to show my talents, and hopefully end up signing a long-term deal after showing the Lions and their new coaching staff what I can do.”

On the surface, it’ll be interesting to see whether Foote gets the same $2.885 million in compensation he was due to earn from the Steelers this year. But, at a deeper level, he wasn’t going to get that money.

Instead, the Steelers likely would have come to Foote in late August and said, “Larry, we’ve got a problem. You’re due to make almost $3 million this year. But we think it’s time for Lawrence Timmons to get on the field full time. So we can’t justify paying you like a starter.”

And so Foote’s choice would have been to take a steep pay cut, or to take a hike.

Thus, the real question is whether Foote got more from the Lions now than the Steelers would have given him once they had him over a barrel, with no market for his services and no option other than to slink his shoulders and take what the Steelers would have given him.

Micjones

05-05-2009, 09:02 PM

He's from De-twah. Wanted to be close to home.
Meh... Would've been nice to have him, but ah well.